Five reasons to improve your broadband

Published: 22nd Jun 2016

With each passing year, the internet becomes more and more important to everyday life here in the UK.

New figures from the Office for National Statistics show that 86 per cent of the population has now been online and that figure will only grow. However, a number of people still struggle with poor quality broadband connections that don't allow them to make the most of the web.

If your broadband service is slow and unreliable, but you're not sure if upgrading is worthwhile, read on to find out about just a few of the benefits.

Video streaming

You don't need a television to keep up with all of your favourite programmes anymore, as the vast majority of things shown on TV are also available online. All of the UK's major channels are streamed live and for BBC services you even have the option to skip back to when a programme started, which is great if you've missed the beginning of a show.

If you are unable to watch a programme for any reason, on-demand websites like BBC iPayer and 4oD allow you to watch it at a time of your choosing.

Working from home

Thanks to the internet, it is now possible to work from the comfort of your own home and be just as connected as you would be in the office. This flexible approach to working is increasingly common and is ideal for people who have out-of-work commitments or would otherwise be faced with a long commute.

However, to work from home effectively, a fast and reliable broadband connection is essential, be it for downloading and uploading files or communicating with colleagues.

Online gaming

Kids and adults alike have embraced the world of online gaming. Whether it's the latest PlayStation or Xbox release or playing an online version of scrabble, the internet allows you to pit your wits against other gamers from across the world.

There are also games like World of Warcraft, known as massively multiplayer, which have users in their millions and are essentially an online community.

Keeping in touch

The internet is great for keeping in touch and this goes way beyond email. A faster broadband connection makes using social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter much easier and you can also make use of online phone services such as Skype. This free service allows you to carry out video calls with people anywhere in the world and is an excellent way to keep in touch without spending a penny.

Multi-use

In this technological age, it's not uncommon for households to contain more than one computer as well as other online devices such as tablets, smartphones and games consoles. This means it's quite likely that people in the same house could be trying to stream a video, play an online game and download a large file all at the same time. Without a fast and reliable broadband connection, this simply wouldn't be possible.